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A few articles:
Denel offers Pakistan missile deal.
341 words
24 February 1999
Flight International
Denel of South Africa is offering Pakistan a package of air-to-air weaponry for its planned Chengdu Super 7 fighter being jointly developed with China. It includes a proposed joint development of a datalink-equipped radar-guided beyond visual range (BVR) missile.
The Pakistan air force confirms it is evaluating a range of active-guided BVR missiles, including the newly proposed T-Darter development by Denel's Kentron. The air force's Super 7 chief project director, Air Vice Marshal Hamid Khawaja, describes the South African missile as "very impressive on paper".
T-Darter is understood to be a further development of Kentron's radar-equipped R-Darter now in low-rate production and Ramjet-powered S-Darter or LRAAM. The new proposed air-breathing missile would incorporate a datalink for mid-course guidance updates and effective target engagements at ranges in excess of 50km (27nm).
The South African company acknowledges "Kentron has been discussing various proposals for air-to-air missiles with the Pakistan air force. These proposals include the U-Darter and derivatives of the Darter family, such as the fifth generation A-Darter missile, as well as the ramjet technology developed by Denel's Sochem division."
Pakistan is keen to acquire a BVR capability to counter the Indian air force's likely acquisition of the Vympel AA-12 (R-77) to arm its new Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters and upgraded MiG-29 and MiG-21bis. India also has its indigenous Astra programme.
"They (India) have the advantage," claims Pakistan's chief of air staff Air Chief Marshal Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi, " the Su-30s will definitely come with the AA-12 and they also plan to upgrade their other air defence aircraft. We're looking at various BVRs, be it the French (Matra-BAe) Mica, the Russian AA-12 and there are others like South Africa. "We would also like to develop something ourselves in collaboration with others," says Qureshi.
Denel proposes advanced Darter derivatives.
352 words
28 April 1999
Flight International
17
Paul Lewis/RIO DE JANEIRO
Denel plans soon to begin guided testing of the Kentron A-Darter air-to-air missile (AAM), while pursuing derivative naval and AAM developments of its SAHV-3 surface-to-air missile system.
The South African manufacturer is pushing ahead with work on the A-Darter, with the help of technology funding in the absence of a full-scale development budget. It has completed two years of test firing to validate the missile's propulsion and ballistics.
Denel hopes to widen testing by the end of the year to include a new, indigenously developed, imaging infrared seeker. Also under local development is a helmet-mounted sight for off-boresight missile cueing. The missile is being promoted as an alternative to the Matra British Aerospace Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile.
The company, speaking at a recent defence show in Brazil, says that the A-Darter seeker could also be adapted as a future enhancement to the new, vertically launched, Umkhonto missile under development for the South African navy's planned four Meko 100-class corvettes. The 12km (7 mile)-range missile under test is fitted with a simpler infrared seeker than that of the earlier U-Darter AAM, to keep costs down, according to Denel.
Initial and mid-course guidance is provided by the ship until the infrared seeker can lock on in the terminal phase. The Umkhonto draws much of its design from the land launched SAHV-3 system, including a 180mm-diameter body, servo-powered tail control and thrust vectoring vanes in the motor nozzle for launch control.
It is understood that the SAHV 3 also forms the basis of South Africa's T-Darter beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile proposal to Pakistan for its planned Super 7 fighter, rather than the R-Darter as earlier reported.
The missile, which is still at the concept stage, would incorporate a tail control, active-radar guided seeker head and datalink for mid-course correction (Flight International, 24 February-2 March).
Denel conceptualises new missile
BY LEON ENGELBRECHT , ITWEB SENIOR WRITER
[ Johannesburg, 14 April 2008 ] - Denel Dynamics, the smart weapons division of the state arms maker, is conceptualising a new high-performance radar-guided missile that, if it comes to fruition, will provide SA's fleet of Gripen advanced light fighter aircraft its main punch.
The advanced weapon will also have substantial export potential and could gain the country billions of rand in foreign exchange in addition to boosting the local ICT skills and know-how base.
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The missile is known as the T Darter and is being designed to replace the R Darter (Radar Darter) currently in service with the SA Air Force (SAAF), where it is known as the V4. Cabinet, in 2003, decided to retire the V4 when the Cheetah fighter jet was withdrawn from service as the missile contained Israeli technology and required continued assistance from that country to remain operational.
Denel Dynamics CEO Jan Wessels says the T Darter will join their A Darter, currently under joint development with Brazil, under the wings of the Gripen, which has just started entering service with the SAAF. Last month SAAF started phasing out the Cheetah and the V4.
SA is the only member of the Non-Aligned Movement, other than India, that can design and build missiles in this class, called the beyond visual range category in military circles.
“T Darter is a concept radar-guided missile,” Wessels says. “We are [proposing to use] some of our existing technologies and [are] looking for partners for the rest. We will typically provide the nose of this missile, which is the radar and are looking for a partner for the ‘back end',” he says.
Other than the radar, the ‘front end' also includes a number of proprietary processors that guide the weapon to its intended target at ranges that can extend to over 60km – the striking distance of the V4.
“Our next product is the A Darter, also an air-to-air missile. It is a co-development project between South Africa and Brazil. Engineers from both countries are working together on the project on Denel Dynamics' premises (at Irene, just south of Pretoria).”
Wessels says, although Denel Dynamics is an anomaly as a result of the politics of the 1970s, it represents a unique high-end ICT capability.
“Many other countries want to be in this position, but don't have the proven capability. We have the proven capability, but don't always have the market or need,” he says of the company and its product range that includes various types of missiles, smart bombs and robotic aircraft. “Our strategy is to find a match between that capability and the market.”
He adds that other than strategic imperatives, such as security of supply, the national investment in missilery has spin-off for the broader economy. Wessels says such programmes “develop technologies for SA that go beyond just the product.
It is an enabler for a whole sphere of technology and country capabilities in fields as diverse as design and simulation software, fine mechanics, electronics, aerodynamics, electro-optics, inertial sensing, drivers and controls.
“A few years ago testing was time consuming, expensive and involved extensive test flights. Now you only use a few flight tests as spot checks to make sure your simulation model is good,” Wessels says. “That way you no longer have to test as many missiles in the past.”
“If you look at the Umkhonto [a surface-to [air missile developed for the SA Navy], we probably tested ten, 15 missiles; the Americans 10 years ago would have tested 100, 150 before considering the tests as done,” Wessels explains.
“When you don't have money you learn some tricks,” he says wryly.
